1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to engines and, more particularly, to an enhanced efficiency engine.
2. Description of Related Art
The majority of conventional internal combustion engines include pistons each of which linearly reciprocates within a cylinder formed in an engine block. These conventional engines are relatively inefficient because the piston must move in a direction that opposes the expansion of a combusted air/fuel mixture within the cylinder in order to exhaust that combusted air/fuel mixture from the cylinder and, as a result, energy from the combustion of the air/fuel mixture is lost. In addition, because the piston is moving in a direction that opposes the expansion of the combusted air/fuel mixture, mechanical energy from the engine must be used to force the combusted air/fuel mixture out of the cylinder. Conventional engines also require at least one exhaust valve to allow the combusted air/fuel mixture to exhaust from the cylinder.
There are also internal combustion engines having rotating pistons. U.S. Pat. No. 626,206 to Jasper describes one example of an engine having rotating pistons. The pistons have a rectangular cross-section and rotate in opposite directions in the engine. The engine has a relatively complex structure because two inlets are formed in the engine for each of the pistons. One inlet allows fuel and air to enter the engine, and another inlet, formed in the opposite side of the engine, allows a flame to ignite the fuel and air mixture. Thus, four inlets are formed in the engine for two pistons. The engine also does not include seals to effectively prevent the inadvertent exhaust of combusted air and fuel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,237 to Kamiya describes another type of engine having rotating pistons. The engine in Kamiya also has a relatively complex structure in that an inlet is formed in the engine for each piston. Each inlet feeds combusted fuel and air into the engine to rotate a piston. Each inlet is joined to a tube that receives air from an opening in the engine that is associated with the other piston. Further, the ends of each piston have an S-shape, which prevents the engine from effectively sealing against the inadvertent exhaust of combusted air and fuel.
The conventional engines described above also typically include a coolant system that dissipates heat generated by the combustion of the air/fuel mixture within the cylinder. The failure to convert this heat energy into useable mechanical or electric energy is another inefficiency of conventional engines.